A "is this a good college" thread for all college searchers...

[Sparx]

Ok, I know it's a long shot but anyone have any good suggestions for an archaeology program? DD has a pretty narrow list since there aren't a ton of programs. Her dream school is Wash. U. in St. Louis. She has some state schools on her list but I'd love for her to add 1-2 more private schools to her list since I think they can offer better merit aid.

"American archaeology is anthropology or it is nothing at all" (Willey and Phillips)

I am an anthropologist with a concentration in bioarch.

If she wants to work in Archaeology, she will most likely need at least one advanced degree. BS jobs are out there, but they are few and far between. I would recommend going to any "good" college with an Anth program and getting a BS of Anthropology and a minor in Arch, if its offered. When she goes on to graduate school she will specialize in what sort of Arch she wants, but she will have an invaluable resource in her anthropological education.

I would also suggest that she be working now on building a background in a language. Any language, but a lot of preference in some universities (like Vanderbilt) is given to Spanish or Portuguese. Many graduate programs require a language proficiency.

And no, golf gal, palaeontology is not "close enough" archaeology. My goodness.

 

[allison443]

http://www.usnews.com/education/bes.../09/12/information-for-college-officials-2012

U.S. News will be offering category-specific badges for the 2012 Best Colleges rankings. These badges will be available to the highly ranked colleges for promotional purposes. Wright's Media is handling all badge distribution and licensing for use in electronic media, print media, and reprints; a fee will be charged for all such uses

So, you pay a fee for the data collection process AND a fee if you want to use any of the ranking information in your literature--how is this not paying for the rankings????

You are wrong.

Please cite where it says the schools pay a fee for the data collection process. Also I don't believe the schools pay anything to use the ranking information. Only if they want to use the "badge". That's quite different.

Read your own link.

 

[allison443]

When my older kids were going through the college process, I don't think there was a single school that couldn't find something to be "ranked" about.

The lists are helpful for certain purposes, but like other posters have said, the flaws in their methodology have been well-publicized.

 

[golfgal]

When my older kids were going through the college process, I don't think there was a single school that couldn't find something to be "ranked" about.

The lists are helpful for certain purposes, but like other posters have said, the flaws in their methodology have been well-publicized.

and again...these lists are helpful...to a point...

 

[powellrj]

DSs college was once the #1 party school in Playboy magazine, I wonder if they had to pay something for that little honor....

 

[jrmasm]

DSs college was once the #1 party school in Playboy magazine, I wonder if they had to pay something for that little honor....

Sweet!

My DD is interested in a school that made GQ's Douchiest list.

 

[tar heel]

Sweet!

My DD is interested in a school that made GQ's Douchiest list.

I can't imagine how much they had to pay for that!

 

[powellrj]

Sweet!

My DD is interested in a school that made GQ's Douchiest list.

I didn't even know that list existed, I will have to go and check it out!

 

[jrmasm]

I can't imagine how much they had to pay for that!

Based on their tuition rated I'd say they paid a lot!!!!

 

[jrmasm]

I didn't even know that list existed, I will have to go and check it out!

I believe it is the most exclusive and sought after ranking!!

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

I believe it is the most exclusive and sought after ranking!!

Fantastic, my alma mater is on that list. I'm so proud!

 

[SaraJayne]

For bystanders who are interested, here is an article about the US News Survey (and other university ranking polls) in today's Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/article/How-to-Make-College-Rankings/128928/ (The Chronicle is a subscription trade weekly for academe; if you do not subscribe personally you may be able to reach the full text if you log in through a university or public library system journals account that you have access to.) The article is by M.N. Bastedo, who is on the Education faculty at the Univ. of Michigan.

Obviously, I cannot quote the entire article, but here are some snips:







THIS is why a lot of schools are no longer participating in the US News survey; the thing is slanted because of the personal bias of the respondents. No school has ever been asked to pay to be included in the survey, but for those schools that rank high in the results, there is a lot of pressure from the magazine to buy ad space in the survey issue, and to buy the rights to use the aforementioned "badge". Some do, and some don't, but those who do generally value the survey more for the exposure that the interest in the issue gives to them.

I've been a lurker on this thread (DS14 is only a freshman this year) but I wanted to thank you for posting this.

As he gets older, I'll make sure he doesn't get caught up in "rankings" of schools.

Thanks!

 

[punkin]

Another reason some schools do not participate in the US News rankings is its reliance on standardized scores. For example Sarah Lawrence college does not accept SAT/ACT scores and is therefore unranked, but as far as I know it is a very good, selective school with good programs, particularly its writing program.

 

[diznygirl]

Fantastic, my alma mater is on that list. I'm so proud!

Me too (pepperdine). I'd like to say they were wrong, but they pretty much nailed it. But hey, my dorm had a view of the Pacific Ocean.

 

[Magic Mom]

I didn't even know that list existed, I will have to go and check it out!

I saw a book af the nation's douchiest colleges at Barnes and Noble yesterday. It was hilarious.

 

[powellrj]

I was just on Yahoo start page and treading #1 was college rankings, I wonder if this thread had anything to do with it!!!

 

[powellrj]

I believe it is the most exclusive and sought after ranking!!

Darn, I just checked and they aren't on that list, I guess we don't pay enough in tuition to make the cut, so they will have to just live with the Playboy ranking.

 

[Allison]

The college may have eliminated a position which supplied all the data required, but schools are not paying for this. Trust me. I do not always agree with the methodology the surveys use, but the schools are not paying to be listed. You in one sentence libeled US News.

No kidding.

 

[piglet too]

Do we have a list of schools discussed? That might help so we don't have to read through all of this and just go to the page we want. Anyway, 4 "new" schools that we are looking for info on.

Northern Michigan University
University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
UW LaCrosse
UW Superior

Does anyone know anything about these schools?

 

[Buckalew11]

My DD sent her application to choice #1 on Tuesday. I think she'll hear back real soon. Now to convince of of going ahead and applying to a few others just because...well, just because #1 is expensive and cost is an issue to me. Her dad says he'll do whatever it takes but I disagree with that so I think she should have a few other choices because we won't know anything about money until, what? Spring?

I know she'll be accepted, she doesn't seem so confident, but there is not a doubt in my mind that they will not take her. I still can't believe this is really happening. You'd have to know how much my DD loves this college to understand. She's been dreaming about going there since 2nd grade. Now, it is feeling surreal to me.